JAKARTA - Activists detained from the Global Sumud Flotilla heading to Gaza suffered electric shocks as well as physical and psychological violence while in Israeli custody, according to testimony documented by the Israeli rights group, Adalah.
It was on Wednesday (20/5) that three activists were hospitalized with serious injuries, while dozens of others were suspected of having broken ribs and difficulty breathing due to violence during detention.
Adalah said its legal team had gathered corroborating testimony about the repeated use of electric shocks against detained activists.
The group also documented reports of detainees being forced into painful and humiliating positions during their transfer to Ashdod Port, including walking while fully bent forward and kneeling for long periods.
According to Adalah, Israeli authorities also forcibly removed the hijabs of several female activists who took part in the fleet.
The group said the detainees are expected to be presented before a court or relevant authorities on Thursday to review their detention status before deportation procedures are carried out.
Previously on Wednesday, Adalah accused Israeli authorities of carrying out a criminal policy of torture and humiliation.
The accusations came after a video shared on social media by Israeli National Security Authority Itamar Ben-Gvir showed activists kneeling with their hands cuffed behind their backs and their faces facing the floor while the Israeli national anthem played.
The activists were transferred to Ashdod Port after Israel intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla in international waters.
Information on the location, legal status, and conditions of the detainees is also "severely restricted," according to Adalah.
The flotilla set off last Thursday from the Turkish district of Marmaris in a renewed attempt to break Israel's blockade of Gaza, which has been in place since 2007.
This is not the first time such an incident has occurred against the fleet.
At the end of April, the Israeli military attacked the ships of the fleet in international waters near the island of Crete, Greece. The convoy then consisted of 345 participants from 39 countries.
Israel has imposed a strict blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007, which has left the territory's 2.4 million residents on the brink of starvation.
The Israeli military launched a brutal offensive in Gaza in October 2023 that left more than 72,000 dead, more than 172,000 others injured, and caused massive damage across the entire besieged territory.
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